Family planning clinics in Sheffield, 1967.

Abstract

A survey was made of the new patients at the family planning clinics in Sheffield during 4 months in the first half of 1967. Two hundred and forty-two visited clinics at the outset of marriage and 806 had been married at least 6 months. The FPA had 894 patients and the LA 154. The wives of non-manual workers were over-represented at the FPA clinics but not at the LA clinics. The wives of semi-skilled and unskilled manual workers were generally under-represented. There is some evidence that relative accessibility affects clinic attendance. The most commonly used methods of contraception used before the clinic visit were condom and coitus interrupts—there were variations among different occupational groups. Among those able to give a firm answer there had been more unplanned pregnancies than planned, but not amongst the non-manual groups. 96 of the perimarital and 20 of the other patients were working full-time. The perimarital patients were equally divided in their choice of clinic methods—pill or cap. Among the other patients 49 were prescribed the pill, 27 IUD and 24 the cap.